From the moment he stepped into Gerald Thomas Hall on his first day as dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in 2016, Rolando A. Flores Galarza knew New Mexico State University would capture a special place in his heart and mind.
A decade later, he holds greater admiration for NMSU, where he capped a consequential career that spanned more than 50 years.
“It’s not easy stepping into these leadership roles,” said Flores Galarza, who retired Aug. 31. “But when I arrived, I found a welcoming community of faculty, staff and students willing to help me start a new chapter for the College of ACES. We worked together in classrooms, labs and fields across New Mexico to improve lives through education and outreach; we elevated NMSU through cutting-edge research; and we weathered some challenging times to build a stronger college. I am truly thankful for my time as an Aggie.”
Jon Boren will lead the College of ACES as interim dean while NMSU embarks on a national search for a permanent dean. Boren, who joined NMSU in 1996, has served as an associate dean in the College of ACES and director of the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service since 2008.
A native of Costa Rica and the first in his family to attend college, Flores Galarza built a career across multiple continents in food science, agricultural engineering and academic leadership. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Universidad de Costa Rica, a master’s degree in agricultural engineering from Iowa State University, and a Ph.D. in grain science and industry, with an emphasis in international trade, from Kansas State University.
Early in his career, he held several positions with Costa Rica’s National Production Bureau and later worked as a research food technologist and research agricultural engineer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.
Before arriving at NMSU, he served as a professor and head of the Department of Food Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he also directed the university’s Food Processing Center, a long-running outreach program supporting value-added food and agricultural industries. He has also held faculty and research positions at Kansas State University and Iowa State University.
Flores Galarza said he was drawn to NMSU because of its prime location in the Southwest. With a sprawling agricultural district on the Las Cruces campus and Extension offices and agricultural science centers across New Mexico, he knew the College of ACES needed to become a leader in water conservation and sustainability and value-added agriculture. He felt certain he was the right leader for the job.
He spent his early days as dean analyzing and finding ways to improve the college’s existing operations and systems. Working with a committee, he developed a strategic plan that introduced four focus areas, known as the ACES Pillars. These areas – food and fiber production and marketing, water use and conservation, family development and health of New Mexicans, and environmental stewardship – drive the college’s mission to serve as an engine for the economic and community development in New Mexico.
“Our strategic plan was a very important document – not only because it was fundamental to our college’s success, but because it stood to impact every New Mexico resident,” he said.
By 2019, the college had established the Center of Excellence in Sustainable Food and Agricultural Systems, an interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to improving New Mexico’s agricultural economy through innovative research that supports value-added agriculture – one of Flores Galarza’s top priorities. CESFAS faculty have since generated more than $49 million in competitive proposal activity and secured more than $7 million in external funding, while providing hands-on training for students and fostering strong partnerships with industry and community stakeholders.
Flores Galarza was well into his tenure at NMSU and making strides in building a more robust college when COVID-19 arrived in 2020. Like other colleges and departments, ACES quickly pivoted to remote learning and work but also established public Wi-Fi connections at every Extension office and agricultural science center in New Mexico’s 33 counties.
“It was an unpredictable time,” Flores Galarza said. “We couldn’t have gone through all of that without working as a team. Our mission guided us, and we were able to seamlessly support our students while continuing our service to New Mexico.”
A stronger, more resilient ACES emerged after the pandemic. In 2023, Flores Galarza led the opening of new agricultural buildings on the Las Cruces campus, a project that gave faculty and students more space and resources to conduct high-impact agricultural research.
ACES research expenditures in fiscal year 2025 were associated with direct employment impacts of more than 500 jobs, labor income of more than $37 million, and value-added (contribution to state gross domestic product) of more than $45 million. When considering upstream impacts, ACES research supported more than 647 jobs, $45 million in labor income, and $61 million in contributions to the state’s GDP.
Months before his retirement, Flores Galarza helped launch one of his final initiatives – a pathway program connecting students from Doña Ana Community College to the College of ACES. He and Mónica Torres, chancellor of NMSU’s community colleges, worked with teams at both institutions for more than a year to develop the program, which makes it easier for students to transition from DACC to ACES to earn four-year degrees in agriculture-related areas.
In his retirement, Flores Galarza plans to slow down, spend time with family and maintain close ties to NMSU. He will work part-time as an emeritus dean, lending a hand in passion projects like CESFAS. He looks back at past decade as one of great consequence – not only for him but for ACES and – by extension – New Mexico.
“I am proud of the work we accomplished together,” he said. “I could not have done it alone. I am grateful to everyone – staff, faculty, students, alumni and stakeholders – who helped make ACES the best college at NMSU.”
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Cutline: Rolando A. Flores Galarza at New Mexico State University’s Fabián García Research Center in 2022. Flores Galarza retired as dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in August 2026 after 10 years. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
Cutline: Rolando A. Flores Galarza at a ground-breaking ceremony for new agricultural buildings on the New Mexico State University’s Las Cruces campus. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)
Cutline: Rolando A. Flores Galarza drives along University Avenue in Las Cruces as part of New Mexico State University’s 2024 homecoming parade. (NMSU photo)
Cutline: Rolando A. Flores Galarza speaks to community members in San Miguel County while on a tour of Cooperative Extension Service offices in 2025. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman)